Trump Family Members Who Attended Charlie Kirk's Memorial Service & The Ones Who Were MIA
The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a dark day for the nation, but particularly for his loved ones and for the prominent conservative politicians who considered Charlie their friend. Even those who disagreed with his views were moved by the images of the podcaster's grieving wife. Erika Kirk's last Instagram post with Charlie was especially heart-wrenching as it recalled his devotion to her during the births of their two children. The conservative activist was memorialized at a service at State Farm Stadium in his native Arizona on September 21, 2025, with plenty of famous faces among the attendees and speakers.
President Donald Trump attended, of course; Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, helped bring in the young voters he needed to win his second term. Trump was actually one of the keynote speakers, though not everyone heard his words. Audience members were seen leaving the stadium during the president's eulogy, possibly because certain attendees had been there since long before daybreak. "We grieve for the friend and leader that we have lost," Trump said in part (via The Guardian), "but we go forward strengthened by his faith and bolstered by his courage and inspired by his example to defend the country he lived for, for the freedoms he died for, and the values in which he so deeply believed."
Unsurprisingly, the president also took the opportunity not only to mention his own achievements, but also to get in a dig at Former President Joe Biden and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who's just one of the talk show hosts often at the receiving end of Trump's fury. Other presidential family members, including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were present as well — while some, including Melania Trump, were surprisingly absent.
Donald Trump Jr. knows his dad all too well
Donald Trump Jr., the eldest Trump son and the president's namesake, was among the most prominent mourners at Charlie Kirk's memorial service, as well as one of the featured speakers (it's not clear whether Don Jr.'s girlfriend, Bettina Anderson, was there, though she did share a number of images from the event on Instagram Stories). The businessman notably added one of the few bits of levity to the solemn event by having a bit of fun at his dad's expense. "I'm not widely known for being a sentimental guy," Don Jr. admitted as he took the podium (per NBC News), going on to explain that he's more the type to post "grossly inappropriate memes" in response to a crisis than to let his feelings show.
"I know this because I've even gotten the call from that guy a couple of times," he quipped, pointing in his dad's direction. Then, in a perfect impersonation of the divisive politician's tone, Don Jr. mimicked, "'Y'know, Don — Don, you're getting a little aggressive on social media, Don. Relax.'" The crowd erupted in appreciative cheers. The eldest Trump son then described his sorrow at the death of a man he considered "like a little brother," and urged everybody to continue spreading Kirk's message of "faith, family, and freedom."
Another Trump son also paid his respects
Joining his older brother at Charlie Kirk's service was Eric Trump, along with his wife, Lara Trump. He wasn't among the many speakers at the memorial — others included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services — but he was seen standing solemnly by Lara as the speeches went on. Prior to the event, Eric posted a clip on Instagram from the "Trump Force One" cockpit as it came in for a landing in Arizona. "We are all here Charlie!" he wrote. The co-founder of Trump Bitcoin also posted a view of the stadium filling up, along with a shot of a sight no one expected to see: President Trump speaking with frenemy Elon Musk. "The band is back together!" Eric captioned it.
The first lady was among the no-shows
Melania Trump reacted to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk's murder by posting a heartfelt tribute on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Charlie Kirk's life should serve as a symbolic reminder that compassionate awareness elevates family, love, and country," it read in part. And yet, despite her sympathetic words, the first lady was nowhere to be seen at his memorial service. Radar Online posted several photos of President Donald Trump sitting next to an empty chair that had presumably been set aside for his wife. Also absent from the event were first daughters Ivanka and Tiffany Trump.
They, too, shared sweet memories online at the time of Kirk's death, but opted not to make the trip to Arizona. Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, attended in her place; House Speaker Mike Johnson shared a photo aboard Air Force One that included Kushner along with Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife. Barron Trump, the youngest of the president's children, was similarly a no-show, but this wasn't too surprising. Barron moved back to the White House in order to continue his studies at the Washington campus of New York University, and it's likely he skipped the memorial so as not to miss class the next day.